Since former Vice President Al Gore’s movie "An Inconvenient Truth” became popular, everybody seems to be getting on the environmental bandwagon. Books abound with suggestions on how to live a greener life. I’m in the middle of “Wake Up and Smell the Planet” after finishing “True Green: 100 everyday ways you can contribute to a healthier planet.”

True Green was published in 2006 by the National Geographic Society. Before I get to its contents, I have to mention that it was printed in Spain on paper made from wood grown in a sustainable forest. You will find this curious as you read about the book’s purpose.

Authors Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin are part of an organization called Clean Up the World (www.cleanuptheworld.org) that is an offshoot of Clean Up Australia. They have collected loads of statistics about Americans’ impact on the health of the planet and how we can start taking simple steps to correct that damage. I started my remedial process by simply borrowing this book from the library.

McKay and Bonnin estimate that each American generates 4.5 pounds of trash per day. For a family of four that is more than 3 tons of trash annually. With all the recycling programs that we have available locally, we can easily recycle half of that tonnage and, if we are really diligent, possibly knock off another ten to twenty percent, bringing our trash totals to about one ton per year for four or 1.35 pounds per person per day.

Each of the one hundred suggestions comes with the environmental benefit for doing the deed. For example, by boiling only the amount of water needed for tea, putting the lid on a simmering pot and not preheating the oven, you will lower your carbon emissions and energy bills. I have to give them credit for including washing dishes by hand like we do (or should I say as my husband does) at our house. The method is simple; Use a soapy water basin to wash your dishes and a clean water basin to rinse, then air dry. With a little practice you will use less that 5 gallons of water per wash. We are lowering greenhouse emissions, have lower water and energy bills, and use less water.

On the subject of heating the house, remember to heat the people, not the space. Interestingly, they noted that every person generates the same amount of warmth as a 100-watt heater. So invite some friends over and lower your heating bills. These writers have introduced me to a new term: embodied energy. Every item that we purchase is produced with water and fuel; creates packaging and waste, needs transporting to the store and, ultimately, is recycled or thrown in the trash. So if that cute item that is on sale really tempts you, think of its life span and where it will be a month or a year from now. By making careful purchases you will save money, lower carbon emissions, create less waste, and use less energy and water.

Keep that in mind the next time you run in for a cup of specialty coffee: that one-use cup, that comes with a lid, stirrer/straw and hot jacket, has a huge amount of embodied energy and within a span of 30 minutes, it will be headed for a landfill to stay there forever. A simple change in your diet can lessen your impact on the planet. An incredible 27 percent of all food produced annually in the United States is tossed in the garbage. That’s a staggering 163 pounds of food for every American. Consider buying only what you need, eating everything on your plate and reusing leftovers. My advice is to learn how to compost the fruit and vegetable scraps for a healthier garden.

Consider eating more fruit, vegetables, and grains. Produce comes in its own biodegradable packaging and uses much less energy to produce than meat or chicken. Patronize farmers’ markets and local grocery stores that stock locally grown produce. Check out the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (www.caff.org) then grab a couple of friends and drive over the hill to Suisun Valley (www.suisunvalley.com) to “Buy Fresh and Buy Local.” The latter web site will tell you what is available and which farmer has it.

And finally, turn on your computer, go to www.solanolibrary.com and place “True Green” on your hold list. They will email you when it is ready to pick up.

Childrens’ Coat Drive

Lisa LeFebvre, VGS Recycling Manager, reminded me that their annual Children’s Coat Drive will start on October 29. Please call Lisa at 552-3110 for pickup details.